LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Keeneland September yearling sale passed its midway point with one record figure already assured for this renewal and plenty of others in dead aim as high-end activity continued at an unprecedented rate. Through the first six of 12 sessions at this sale, comprising Books 1, 2, and 3 of the overall catalog, Keeneland reported that 1,216 horses had sold for gross receipts of $417,622,000. At the same point of the 2024 sale under the same early format, 1,166 horses had sold for $336,408,000. Both sets of figures include only horses sold through the ring, not yet accounting for private sales on the grounds that will be factored into official results. Meanwhile, the total gross of more than $417 million has already broken the mark of $411,749,500 that the 2024 sale finished with, with 2,735 horses sold. “To surpass last year’s record-breaking gross with six sessions still to come and so much depth of quality remaining in the catalog speaks volumes about the health of the market that we have seen play out here,”said Tony Lacy, Keeneland’s vice president of sales. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The 2024 edition of Keeneland’s September sale also finished with record average and median figures, and this sale is tracking to outpace those at the midway point. The cumulative average price was $343,439 through six sessions, up 19 percent compared to $288,515 at that point last year. The median also was up 19 percent at $250,000 compared to $210,000. The cumulative buyback rate was 26 percent, compared to 29 percent in 2024. A $2 million Into Mischief colt was purchased by Coolmore and Peter Brant’s White Birch, with Justin Casse as agent, to lead the Book 3 opener on Saturday. He was one of two seven-figure colts sold through the ring that day, joined by a $1.15 million Not This Time colt bought by Bridlewood, Eclipse, LaPenta, and Warren. In a private transaction that does not factor in to the aforementioned through-the-ring gains, Douglas Scharbauer paid $1.4 million for another Not This Time colt after he did not meet his reserve in his trip through the ring. Books 3 and 4, in the middle of the marathon September sale, can often represent a changeover in buyers as those at the top of the marketplace fill their barns and those who were unable to buy in competitive early sessions move in. All three buying parties behind the top lots Saturday were active earlier in the week in Books 1 and 2, suggesting both the stiff competition they faced and illustrating that there are still high-quality horses to be had. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Last year, the top price through the ring in Book 3 was $900,000. According to Keeneland, the $2 million Into Mischief colt is the most expensive horse ever sold in a fifth session of the September sale. The last times a horse reached the seven-figure threshold as late as the fifth session came in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the sale. Both times, the fifth session came in Book 2, as the sale format has changed over the years. “The sustained momentum we’ve seen each day reflects both the exceptional quality of horses on offer and the depth of this sale,” Lacy said. “We’re fortunate to have some of the most astute judges of Thoroughbreds in the world here. One thing that really stands out is how many major players are still on the grounds and still are active. There’s been a convergence of new participants arriving with those who were here in the early books and remain determined to secure horses. “The competition is still incredibly strong, and it’s been exciting to watch so many engaged buyers driving the market forward. The energy that defined the opening books has carried over through each session. What we’re experiencing here is truly extraordinary.” Casse said he was not surprised to have to stretch to $2 million to acquire the Into Mischief colt, who is from the immediate family of champion Jaywalk and Grade 1 winner Tapit Trice, because of the strong market early in the sale. “I feel like that Book 2 was like Book 1 five years ago,” Casse said. “Book 1 was in a whole other stratosphere from what we’ve seen in the past. The other books have shifted up in value. There is a real hunger, and I’m just waiting to see what lies ahead because you have a different buyer base coming into town and the pedigrees are a lot different. “I just hope, for the market’s sake, that it’ll all transition, which I think it should. Maybe not at the level we’ve seen so far, but definitely everything should be up.” The Keeneland September sale continued with a two-session Book 4 on Monday and Tuesday, then was set to wrap up with Books 5A and 5B, the rebranded final four days of the sale, through Saturday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.